"…."

My mouth hung open in stunned silence.

It was like a battle of light and light.

Meteor leapt effortlessly into the trees as if he had sprouted wings. The dagger followed him like a tail, never straying far behind.

Just before it could catch him, he dropped down from the tree in one fluid motion, as if falling on purpose. His descent was quick and seamless, not a single movement wasted.

‘At this rate, he could probably outrun his own shadow….’

Was he even human?

The moment Meteor’s feet touched the ground, he turned sharply.

Somehow, a sword had already appeared in his hand. I hadn’t even seen him draw it—it was that fast.

With a precise swing, he struck the dagger.

Clang!

The blade embedded itself into the ground, skidding a short distance through the dirt before coming to a stop.

I couldn’t close my mouth in disbelief.

Meteor calmly sheathed his sword and spoke.

“That heirloom is exactly as I heard. It can track the target its owner identifies as an enemy.”

“…I see. What kind of weapon even does that? Pinky’s insane. You’re a little insane too.”

“….”

Meteor didn’t respond to my comment.

Instead, he walked over, picked up Pinky, and handed it back to me.

“Let’s practice some more.”

“Okay.”

Taking the dagger from him, I felt its weight in my hands. Somehow, it felt heavier now, as though it carried a greater sense of responsibility.

With renewed focus, I began throwing it again. I targeted tree trunks, sliced through branches, and even made the blade circle around Meteor and return to me.

The dagger, unless intercepted, always found its way back to its owner.

For a while, Meteor and I practiced and experimented with the heirloom together.

Since it resonated with my divine power, it was surprisingly intuitive to use. If it had been an ordinary weapon, it would’ve taken me much longer to get the hang of it.

It was like comparing a regular bicycle to an electric one.

“Wow, this really is an incredible weapon. No wonder it’s a Pluto family heirloom,” I said, marveling.

“Well, you’re the one deserving of it. You tried to save my mother, and even my grandfather acknowledged that you saved him,” Meteor replied.

Our training session complete, we began walking out of the garden.

Now that I thought about it, I had unintentionally ended up saving both the head of the Pluto family and his daughter-in-law.

Saving two members of the same family wasn’t something that happened often, even by sheer coincidence.

That’s probably why Cardinal Reuben had given me such a valuable heirloom.

As we walked, a thought popped into my head, and I spoke without hesitation.

“You know, Meteor, if you ever went missing, I think I’d search for you too.”

“….”

Meteor didn’t respond.

The silence stretched, leaving my words to linger awkwardly in the air.

I had meant it when I told him not to care too much if something happened to me. But even if it was genuine, saying it out loud didn’t sit well with me.

I felt guilty.

If Meteor were ever in danger, I’d do everything I could to save him, just like Rearwin or Reuben had done for me.

Finally, after a pause, Meteor answered.

“I’m not going to disappear.”

“And if you’re ever in danger, I’ll save you!”

Who would save who wasn’t exactly clear, but I meant it nonetheless. If anything happened to Meteor, the world would be in serious trouble.

After all, hadn’t I saved him during the tutorial phase as well?

Meteor let out a soft laugh—one born not of ridicule, but of disbelief.

“You’ll never have to save me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m not the type who needs rescuing—I’m the one who does the rescuing.”

“Ah, I see.”

Would that really be the case, though?

In another world, I had died in his place when he was just thirteen.

It wasn’t the future of this world, but knowing what I did about that potential reality, I hummed lightly to myself in amusement.

Meteor didn’t seem too pleased with my reaction, judging by the look on his face.

To ease the tension, I quickly changed the subject.

“Ahem. Anyway, thanks for everything—finding me, helping me train today….”

“I didn’t do it because I wanted to.”

“Sure, sure. But still, thanks.”

I ended my words with a small smile.

For the first time in a while, I felt lighter.

The casual back-and-forth with Meteor had lifted my spirits.

The late autumn night was pleasantly cool, and the sound of our footsteps on the well-kept grass had a certain charm to it.

Was this what peace felt like?

It felt like the most fulfilling night I’d had since coming to the Pluto Ducal Estate.

We were nearing the mansion, having left the garden behind, when—

“!”

I froze mid-step, suddenly questioning my eyesight.

Darkness engulfed everything around me.

Unfortunately, I recognized this sensation all too well.

This was the third time it had happened.

Meteor, I was sure, knew it too.

***

The darkness that had engulfed my vision suddenly gave way to light.

However, even in this “light,” the surroundings were still dim and foreboding.

I blinked a few times, taking in my surroundings.

The first thing I noticed was the crimson moon and the scattered stars above. There was no doubt about it—we were back in the Demon Realm.

…To be pulled into this place again, so suddenly?

“…What the hell? More Magi?”

Meteor’s voice rang out, sounding as frustrated as I felt.

What sort of demon would it be this time?

We weren’t even in training gear—both of us were dressed casually. Meteor wore an elegant shirt with frills, fit for a prince, paired with comfortable trousers.

Meanwhile, I was in a light, flowing indoor dress that reached my ankles, paired with lace-covered shoes.

In short, neither of us was dressed for battle.

I did have spare clothes in my inventory, but there was no way I could casually pull them out in front of Meteor.

I sighed, genuinely upset.

“Ugh, I just finished a nice bath, washed my hair, and now we’re in the Demon Realm again.”

The attendants had even styled my hair beautifully!

I had been so ready to sleep soundly tonight!

Meteor shot me an incredulous look.

“That’s not what you should be worried about right now. You just got back from the Demon Realm with my grandfather. How is it happening again so soon?”

“Beats me. I guess demons just really like me.”

“‘Really like’ isn’t the word. It’s suspiciously blatant.”

Suspicious?

I felt wronged. This wasn’t my fault!

Still, a tiny part of me couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Could it have something to do with my father becoming the Demon King?

…No, it couldn’t be.

“If I manage to get out of here alive again, it’ll be a miracle,” I muttered sarcastically.

As if on cue, the system window appeared before me.

<Warning!>
You have entered the Demon Realm Dungeon—‘Aldred Family Cemetery.’

“Huh?”

I blinked, startled by the familiar name.

Aldred?

The first time I came to the Demon Realm, I had encountered a demon from the Aldred family.

If this was their cemetery… could it really be?

Meteor began walking cautiously, and I followed close behind.

Not far ahead, I saw rows of menacing gravestones, their jagged shapes jutting out like knives.

The air was cold and unsettling, carrying a palpable sense of dread. Blackened, brittle branches swayed like skeletal fingers in the breeze.

As we moved deeper, Meteor broke the silence.

“…The Magi here is overwhelming. Are those graves for demons? If so, it makes sense that the Magi is so concentrated. They probably use it to protect this place.”

“Really?”

Meteor nodded twice in agreement.

The oppressive Magi here was stronger than in any other dungeon I’d visited.

If this was indeed the family’s cemetery, it made sense for the Magi to serve as a form of protection.

“Who could the master of this place be?” I asked just as—

<Warning!>
Demon Rank 161—Lady Rohert Aldred has appeared!

Just as I feared, the demon lady I had encountered half a year ago emerged.

This time, her rank had climbed from 162 to 161.

It must have been because Count Ismir, who outranked her, was now dead.

“Hello! Long time no see. I missed you! Though I see you brought along an unnecessary pest,” Aldred said with a wicked smile.

Missed me.

She was dressed in a crimson gown layered with lace, its dramatic draping reminiscent of blood-soaked roses. A star-shaped tattoo adorned one side of her cheek, glinting faintly under the eerie moonlight.